


finding a way to your wild heart

by amemorymaze



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, background ziam - Freeform, bits of running, in louis' attempts to get fit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-02
Updated: 2015-06-02
Packaged: 2018-04-02 12:22:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4059826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amemorymaze/pseuds/amemorymaze
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“I’m in love,” Louis says, dropping down onto the sofa on top of Liam and Zayn. </i>
</p><p>  <i>Liam grunts, trying to push Louis off of his lap; “Shut up, Louis.” </i></p><p>  <i>Rolling his eyes, Louis pushes up and squishes his way in between the two boys, almost kneeing Zayn in the balls as he goes; “I’m in love,” he repeats. </i></p><p> </p><p>After drunkenly telling Liam about his desire to start running (which wasn't even <i>that</i> true), Louis had never expected it to end up with him meeting Harry. Harry with the bright green eyes and a smile that could light up even the rainiest of London days. He had never expected to fall into this boy's life. </p><p>Running, he supposes, isn't all that bad after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	finding a way to your wild heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tamikare](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tamikare/gifts).



The moment he starts to pick up his pace when he enters the park Louis begins to regret his decision. He has the sound of a drum and bass remix of some pop song he’s been too busy to listen to playing through his earphones as his feet thud softly against the pavement and his breath comes out in sharp bursts.

Despite him being four months late starting his new years resolution (it’s been cold, alright?), Louis wishes he had never drunkenly told Liam about his desire to start running. It wasn’t even really the truth, if he’s being honest, he just wants to not be out of breath when he’s late to his lecture and has to run up four flights of stairs because the lifts are way too slow.

He hasn’t even made it through one song when he finds himself slowing down - tempted to turn and make his way back to his flat. Louis wonders just how many people have noticed the young man in his pink running shoes (thanks, Liam) making his way half-heartedly through the park and how much dignity he would lose if he were to walk back.

Shaking his head as the song playing through his earphones transitions into the next, he picks up his speed because Louis is a crap liar when it comes to Liam and he can _not_ be dealing with that stupid pouty-face today if Louis goes home without even trying. (He also really hates letting Liam down, even over something so small.)

Admittedly, jogging isn’t as bad as Louis always made it out to be. Once he gets into the rhythm of his feet hitting the concrete one after the other and his breathing starts to even out, he finds himself enjoying himself. Even the wind in his face that’s messing up his hair and the burning in his lungs isn’t entirely unwelcome.

Losing himself in the rhythm of the music and the thud as his feet hit the floor, he finds himself forgetting all his responsibilities and deadlines, rehearsals and performances that are coming up and just focuses on his own breathing and the path ahead of him.

It’s as he turns a corner that it happens. With his phone in his hand as he changes the song, all sense of dignity is gone when he stumbles over nothing and betrayed by his own feet as he trips. Falling face first onto the pavement isn’t one of his finest moments he has to admit.

Throwing his hands (and phone) out to catch himself, Louis mutters out a small; “Fuck.”

His knees hit the ground with a thud and he winces, knowing that when he moves, there will most probably be traces on blood.

“Shit,” he hears, and Louis tries to suppress a groan - he really doesn’t want to deal with other people right now; “Are you okay?!”

Louis groans in response, rolling onto his back before his eyes flicker open and -

Oh.

Above him is a boy with an outstretched hand offered to Louis, his eyes are the brightest green and his expression is pinched with worry.

Louis just finds himself groaning again because he just made a _complete_ tit of himself in front of who is probably one of the most attractive guys he has met in months.

“Oh,” the boy says, eyes growing wide as he spots Louis’ hands and he retracts his own hand slightly; “You’re bleeding.”

Louis’ eyes widen; “So I am,” he says, wincing as he moves his fingers; “Fuck.”

“Are you okay?”

Louis nods, “Yeah,” he says as he tries to get to his feet, ignoring the boys offered hand, shaking him off; “Don’t wanna get blood on you.”

“Oh,” he says; “Are you sure you’re okay? That looked painful?”

He jumps on the balls of his feet, a smile on his face as he tries to ignore his stinging knees and hands; “Perfect.”

The boy laughs, his eyes crinkling slightly, his teeth on full show; “Well, you might want this,” he says, handing Louis his phone. “You kinda, um, threw it at me when you fell.”

“Oh, shit,” Louis says, “Sorry about that.”

“‘s alright,” the boy mumbles, blushing slightly.

“Thank you,” Louis replies, his eyes shining in earnest as he smiles sheepishly.

“No problem,” the boy says; “Enjoy your run, yeah?”

“I’ll try not to, y’know, fall over again.”

“Probably for the best,” the boy replies, smiling before turning back and heading back to where he was sitting against a tree.

And if Louis takes a few moments to pick the perfect song to run to whilst exchanging smiles with a cute guy, well, sue him.

 

+

 

“I’m in love,” Louis says, dropping down onto the sofa on top of Liam and Zayn.

Liam grunts, trying to push Louis off of his lap; “Shut up, Louis.”

Rolling his eyes, Louis pushes up and squishes his way in between the two boys, almost kneeing Zayn in the balls as he goes; “I’m in love,” he repeats.

“With who?” Zayn sighs, rolling his eyes.

Louis grins, poking Liam’s sides before waving his hands around; “This guy at the park, he - ”

“Is that blood?!” Liam asks, his eyes wide with concern but Louis just shrugs it off.

“If you would just wait, I am about to get there,” Louis rolls his eyes, “Anyway… I was running round Primrose Hill, right? And my playlist ended so I was going to change the song but I wasn’t looking where I was going and I must’ve tripped over a tree root or something. I don’t really know. But next thing I know, there’s this guy above me and his eyes were _so_ green. You would probably write sonnets about his eyes, Z.”

“Is that so?” Zayn replies, his eyes twinkling in amusement as he lets Louis continue.

“Uh huh,” Louis mumbles, “He was fucking gorgeous, mate.”

“So, when are you gonna see him next?” Zayn asks.

Louis freezes, “Um…”

Rolling his eyes, Zayn groans; “Please tell me you got his number at least.”

Louis jumps up, a blush burning his cheeks, “It’s a work in progress,” he says as he runs up the stairs to his room.

 

+

 

So, apparently, running is a thing Louis does now. Well, he thinks to himself as he runs down the familiar path through the park, he runs in the hopes that he’ll find that really cute boy again and maybe not make an idiot of himself this time.

And so far, he’s had little luck. He’s even, dare he think it, starting to enjoy jogging. Amongst the trees and the sun beating down on his back, he can focus on his breathing and the music playing through his ears.

It turns into a routine of his; after his lectures every Tuesday and Thursday, he’ll slip on his bright pink running shoes and make his way to the park. It’s cathartic, is what it is.

And if he gets to spot a cute curly haired boy as he runs through the trees each time, well, that’s just a bonus isn’t it?

 

+

 

“When are you actually, you know, gonna talk to him?” Zayn asks, his voice slurring slightly, which isn’t all that surprising since they’ve made a good attempt at finishing an entire bottle of vodka between them.

“I already have, don’t you remember?” Louis shrugs before flopping down on the sofa next to his best friend and resting his head in his lap; “When we first met.”

“I mean,” Zayn sighs, “Again. For a second time - and, no. Smiling at each other doesn’t count, it doesn’t matter how pretty he is.”

“But,” Louis whines, throwing his arms up, “He is the prettiest boy in the entire world, Zayn.”

“I know, Lou,” Zayn says as he threads his fingers through Louis’ hair; “I know.”

 

+

 

It’s when he’s jogging that it happens. Honestly, he doesn’t even expect to see the boy again because his 10am got cancelled so he’d decided to go out earlier this time (it has nothing to do with Liam accusing his of being a stalker - not at all).

He turns the corner when all of a sudden, he catches the flash of a camera go off in his direction and he jumps in surprise. He pulls off his earphones, letting them dangle around his neck, as he looks over his shoulder.

Trying not to grin as he spots a boy sitting against a tree with a camera in hand and a sheepish look on his face, Louis walks over.

“If you wanted a picture, you could’ve just asked,” Louis says, smiling cheekily.

The boy looks suitably flustered, his cheeks pink and his eyes wide, he gets to his feet. “‘M Sorry,” he says, “It’s just that i’m writing this thing at the moment and it fit perfectly and I should’ve asked but if I’d asked the shot would’ve been ruined and I’d never get it back again even if we tried to recreate it, which you probably wouldn’t want - ”

“I don’t know what you’re doing taking pictures of me when you could be taking pictures of animals at the zoo or something,” Louis interrupts, smiling.

“Oh,” he says, “I actually, um, I was going to head over there this afternoon.”

Louis grins, his eyebrows rising; “Huh.”

“Wanna come with?” Then he blanches slightly and shakes his head; “Oh, um, you don’t, uh, you don’t have to. I mean, you probably have way better things to do than go to the zoo with some stranger.”

“What’s your name?” Louis asks, his grin growing wider and he laughs slightly.

“Harry,” he says, “Uh, Harry Styles.”

“I’m Louis Tomlinson; west-end actor to be with five sisters and a brother, love to play video games and footie, and I’m currently living with my best friend who’s in love with my _other_ best friend,” Louis says, “We’re not strangers anymore, see.”

“I guess so,” Harry laughs, “I’m an aspiring writer-slash-photographer, who likes long walks on the beach, reading poetry, sitting by the fire and, um,” he hesitated slightly before smirking; “horseback riding.”

Louis barks out a short laugh, “Let’s go to the zoo, Harry Styles.”

Harry grins before reaching down and grabbing his bag, slinging it over one shoulder and letting Louis’ thread his arm through his as they set off.

 

+

 

It’s nice, is what it is, as they stroll through the park towards the zoo with Harry chattering on about his projects and writing for some online zine and for once, Louis’ content to just listen and watch. Watch the way Harry moves his hands as he speaks, accentuating his words. He listens as he finds out about his older sister and his parents.

And then he watches as Harry turns to him with wide eyes and his expression so irresistibly sincere as he asks about Louis’ family that Louis’ finds his words tumbling from his lips.

Laughing, he describes his mismatched family, from the new baby twins to his mum. He finds himself rambling on as he tells this boy everything about his life. And Harry, well, Harry smiles so wide and laughs along at Louis’ stories and when Louis looks over, Harry eyes bright in the sunlight, Louis thinks that he could probably fall in love with this boy.

 

+

 

They’ve barely taken a step into the zoo and Harry’s already got his camera out, snapping photos of everything (and maybe even a few of Louis, but he’s not going to complain).

“Where do you wanna go first?” Harry says, jumping on the balls on his feet.

Louis smiles, “Wherever you want, Harry.”

And Harry just smiles, grabs Louis’ hand and runs.

Dodging tourists and small children, Louis’ laugh gets lost in the air. His heart is pumping and butterflies are fluttering in his stomach at the touch of Harry’s hand, but he just grins and lets himself be dragged through the crowd.

 

+

 

“Tell me more,” Harry says, leaning against the fence as they watch the red pandas; “What’s her name?”

“That one,” Louis says, pointing to the one sitting at very top of the wooden structure; “She’s called Beatrice.”

“Yeah?” Harry says, grinning with his teeth on full show.

“She sees herself as royalty, I guess,” Louis says, smiling as Harry plays with his fingers; “Thinks she better than the rest - well, she is better than the rest but don’t go telling her that.”

“Of course not, I would never,” Harry laughs and they fall into silence for a moment before he speaks again; “What about you? You’re at uni, right?”

Louis nods, pressing his fingers against the fencing. “Yeah, doing theatre. It was kind of a last minute decision - I never thought I’d get the grades to get into Goldsmiths, but… voila. Here I am, I guess.”

“You shouldn’t put yourself down,” Harry says, smiling as he shakes his head; “I bet you’re amazing.”

Louis shrugs, a self-depreciating smile on his face, “Well, we’ll find out if I actually graduate and get my degree.”

“Hey,” Harry says, putting a hand over Louis’, “You can do it.”

Louis just smiles before turning his hand over, tangling his fingers with Harry’s and pulling them towards the next exhibit.

“Do you, um - do you want to come see it?” Louis says, looking down at their intertwined hands.

Harry’s face lights up and he nods, “Yes - Hairspray, right? Yes, I would _love_ to.”

“You know…” Louis begins, watching as Harry disentangles their hands to grab the camera around his neck; “We still need someone to take some photos for the programme…”

Harry turns to him, grinning even wider, his hair flowing in the wind, “You - is that an offer?”

Shrugging, Louis says, “Only if you want to.”

“I - um, I need to check my deadline dates and stuff, but can I, uh, can I get back to you? It’d be really great for my portfolio, actually.”

“Sure,” Louis says, grinning. “I’m a little bit desperate if that’s any incentive.”

Harry laughs throwing his head back slightly and his eyes shine; “I’m sure I can squeeze you in to my oh so hectic schedule.”

“I’m glad,” Louis says, grinning cheekily with a wink before turning to look towards the wolf enclosure.

 

+

 

It’s not until he’s laying in his bed that night, grinning at the ceiling, that he realises he never got Harry’s number. His heart drops to his stomach and he groans to himself because Zayn and Liam are never going to let this go.

He just guesses that he’s going to have to keep up with the whole running thing, after all.

 

+

 

“You - you didn’t call.”

It doesn’t take that long, surprisingly, to find Harry once again. Racing through the park with the sun beating down against the back of his neck with his hair pushed back by a headband, he stumbles to a stop.

Louis frowns, pulling his earphones out as he shakes his head; “What are you talking about? I don’t have your number?”

The boy frowns, “Yeah… I put it in your phone when you went to the loo.”

“No you didn’t,” Louis shakes his head, looking down at his phone, scrolling through his contacts; “No Harry’s in here?”

Harry blushes. “It’s… uh, I put it as that running man emoji.”

Louis laughs, the sound echoing through the air as he finds the contact; “Why? Why would you do that?”

“I don’t know really,” he says, laughing through his embarrassment. “I thought it was funny.”

Louis grins over at Harry, his eyes twinkling; “Well, I guess I’ll just have to keep it as that.”

Harry smiles before shrugging; “‘M sorry.”

“For what?” Louis frowns, “For putting your number in my phone. Honestly, Harry, I really don’t mind that you did that.”

“More for not telling you?” Harry says, laughing, “I had loads of fun last week.”

“Yeah?” Louis says, grinning.

Harry shrugs; “Is that offer still there? The, um, the photography one? I’d really like to take some photos, they’d look really good in my portfolio.”

“Yeah, definitely!” Louis nods, grinning as he takes a step back; “I’ll text you, yeah? I’ve gotta run, I have rehearsals tonight”

Harry grins; “Okay.”

And with a small wave and a smile, Louis turns on his heel and runs.

 

+

 

“Guess who’s number I have,” Louis sings as he walks into the house.

“Fucking finally,” Zayn shouts from his bedroom, “You running after him again?”

Louis rolls his eyes, “No, it was pure luck,” he sighs, “Obviously it’s meant to be.”

Liam laughs from the kitchen as Louis walks in; “Shut it, Payno,” Louis says, “He’s even going to do the photography for the programme.”

“Yeah?” Liam says, grinning; “I know you were panicking about that.”

“I wasn’t panicking,” Louis says, rolling his eyes, “I was just a tad worried that I would have to get you to do it on a fucking iPhone camera or something.”

“Alright then,” Liam says, laughing as he watches Louis make a cuppa.

“I wasn’t!”

Liam just laughs again, taking a sip from his own tea before shrugging; “Hey, at least now you can wow him with your acting skills and then take him out on another date - a proper date.”

“Fuck off.”  

 

+

 

The moment the door closes behind him with a small thud, Louis sighs in relief. He pulls his hoodie off over his head before throwing in on the floor on top of his soaked vans that he had just slipped off of his feet. His day had been awful, truly and completely awful; first he was late to his first seminar where he was stared down with disapproving looks from his tutor - it wasn’t even his fault. Well, this time it wasn’t, the bus genuinely was horrifically late.

Then he had to deal with that homophobic kid in his second seminar which put an even damper note on his mood and after that, he somehow managed to spill tea over himself and his brand new Topshop jeans. Jeans that he hadn’t planned on washing for at least two weeks because they were _new._

Thinking it would be a good idea to try and clear his mind of all his stresses and worries, Louis made the mistake of walking home where halfway through his journey it started raining.Typical fucking English weather.

Traipsing into the kitchen, he flicks on the kettle before slumping down in the kitchen chair; groaning to himself. He flicks through the post that Zayn had obviously thrown haphazardly onto the table (because Liam always sorts it through) before finding a brown envelope addressed to him.

Louis frowns as he flicks it over, opening it cautiously.

Pulling out a photograph, he grins as he recognises it almost instantly. It’s a photo of Harry from the zoo; the one he had taken. It’s slightly blurred but Harry’s grinning, laughing at some joke Louis had just told and he looked beautiful.

On the back is a message; _Just incase you missed me. H x_

With a blinding smile on his face and his whole day turning around, he pulls out his phone shooting off a text message: _Bit creepy, Haz_

There’s a reply in minutes and Louis laughs: _The fact that I know where you live or that I sent a picture of my face?_

 _Both,_ Louis replies, unable to keep the grin off his face, _how do you know where i live?_

_Apparently my mate Niall is a friend of your housemate Liam_

_horan?_ Louis replies, _loud and irish?_

 _The one and only,_ Harry texts.

 _for the record,_ Louis types just as the kettle boils, _i did miss you !_

_i missed you too!!!xxxxx_

Louis smiles, staring at the photo in his hand and wonders who on earth this boy is.

 

+

 

Louis’ mesmerised.

He watches Harry and the way he moves around the stage, camera slung over his neck as he tries to stop his best friend from chatting up the girls. He’s so comfortable and confident setting up equipment and telling everyone where he needs them to be.

As Harry bustles past him, a bright smile on his face that lights up those green eyes, smelling of flowers and honey. And for some reason, Louis is reminded of a time when he was younger when he would always walk past that old florist on the corner of their road.

He thinks about how there was no way to ignore the beautiful scents that would waft through the air of the small flower shop. He thinks back to the bright colours scattered outside in tasteful decoration to attract the attention of anyone who walks past.

He thinks back to the way that he would always drag his mum into the shop just so he could look at the flowers. Sometimes he'd take his pocket money and buy some of the pretty flowers to give to his mum to put on their fireplace. Mrs Peters, the old lady who owns the shop, would tell Louis all about the different meanings of the flowers and he would listen with rapt attention.

And Louis stands on the stage with lights burning down on him outfitted in his costume, he thinks that Harry is that feelings of something new and exciting. He’s pretty colours and cute stories. He’s that feeling of pure happiness that comes without a care in the world.

He wonders if there’s a flower that describes this feeling; the feeling of your stomach being full of butterflies that never seem to fly away. He wonders if there’s a flower that describes _Harry._

But then again, he supposes, you can’t describe him in one single way because he’s kind of everything all at once.

 

+

 

Walking onto the stage with its empty seats looking daunting and the open space too big to fill, Harry takes a deep breath.

Louis' flying about the stage, practicing step after step until he gets it just right.

“Harry,” Louis says, coming to a stop in front of Harry as he spots him lurking in the dark shadows. “What are you still doing here?”

Shrugging his shoulders, Harry shakes his head, looking down at the floor; “Lost track of time I suppose – I was looking through the photos, they’ve turned out great, by the way. What are you doing here so late?”

Louis lifts his arm and scratches the back of his neck in nervousness, “Just practicing.”

“What for?” Harry asks, walking closer to him.

“It needs to be perfect – I need to be perfect,” Louis says, he pauses for a moment and seems to take a deep breath. “I kept messing up today; nothing went right. I forgot lines and my dancing was terrible – I just, it was a bad day.”

There are so many things Harry could say right then that could break Louis – that could cause him to be completely and utterly defeated. Harry stops with questions and whys on the tip of his tongue because he recognises that look on Louis' face. He recognises the way his smile isn’t so bright and his eyes aren’t twinkling. He sees the way that Louis' hands are grasped together.

He recognises Louis' need for perfection. He recognises it in himself. It’s the way that Harry stays way past the time everyone has gone home and keep stitching and hemming dresses until his fingers are aching.

So he stops himself from asking questions and interrogating him – he just drops his bag onto the stage and says; “Want any help?”

Louis' eyes dart up to Harry’s face, a small gleam of brightness returning as the smile gets just a tiny bit wider, “Run lines with me?”

“Sure,” Harry says as Louis grabs a script from the side of the stage and hands it to Harry, “Where should we start?”

Louis shrugs and turns the page, “Uh, this is where I kept messing up today.”

“Okay,” Harry says reading the lines quickly, “I’m Tracy, right?”

“Right,” Louis replies, stepping closer to Harry, “We’re meant to be dancing, you ready?”

Harry almost squeaks as Louis lifts his hands to rest on Harry’s waist. “Ready,” he breathes out quietly.

“Link,” Harry begins, swaying to the music in their heads, “Aren’t you gonna get into awful trouble for this?”

Louis – Link – shrugs, “Not planning on tellin’ my dad.”

“No,” Harry says, looking down as he lets out a breath, “I mean in trouble with someone else.”

“Maybe,” Louis says, “Maybe it’s worth it.” He lifts Harry’s chin with the tips of his fingers and Harry feels through his whole body. They’re so close, Harry can feel the breath on his lips and he feels dizzy with their proximity. “I think knowing you is the start of a pretty big adventure,” Louis breathes.

Harry drops the script as he looks into Louis' eyes – eyes that are burning with passion and desire and Harry whispers a small, quiet, “Louis,” before his lips are on Louis' as Harry is pulled even closer.

It’s then, in the dark, empty theatre on the stage, they kiss. Louis feels like he’s burning at Harry’s touch as his heart races and Louis realises that there is no doubt about it; he could fall in love with this boy.  

 

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoy it!!! i would usually put my tumblr here but i guess i'll wait until after the reveal!! the title comes from wild heart by bleachers (which is larry af) so u should check that out too!


End file.
